A Grim Slide Into Chaos

摘要

YEMEN Islamists allegedly tied to al-Qaeda seized the coastal town of Zinjlbar on May 29, leading to days of desperate fighting with government forces. In one ambush, militants killed at least five soldiers. Elsewhere, a short-lived truce between troops loyal to President Abdullah Ali Saleh and dissident tribesmen collapsed as clashes shook the southern city of Taiz and the capital, Sana'a, where thousands are trying to flee the mayhem. In Taiz, security forces and snipers are said to have fired live rounds at unarmed protesters marching through the streets. Dozens were killed in both cities. More than 320 people have died since the uprising against Saleh's three-decade rule began. Despite international pressure, the regime grimly clings to power. It's feared that al-Qaeda's Yemen-based Arabian arm may exploit the law-and-order vacuum.